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The Graduate Division is excited to announce two graduate writing courses GRAD/WRIT 282AA (Thesis and Dissertation Structured Writing Communities) and GRAD/WRIT 283AA (Preparing for the Academic Job Market) for the Spring 2021 quarter from Dr. Robby Nadler, the Graduate Division’s Academic, Professional, and Technical Graduate Writing Development Director. Read on for more details!
The Graduate Division is excited to announce two graduate writing courses GRAD/WRIT 282AA and GRAD/WRIT 283AA for the Spring 2021 quarter from Dr. Robby Nadler, the Graduate Division's Academic, Professional, and Technical Graduate Writing Development Director.
Please review the course details and requirements below. You will need to log into UCSB GOLD to register for GRAD/WRIT 282AA and GRAD/WRIT 283AA.
GRAD/WRIT 282AA: Thesis and Dissertation Structured Writing Communities
3 hours, 4 units, P/NP or letter grade
Tuesdays | 2 p.m. to 4:50 p.m. | Synchronous online instruction
First day of instruction is on Monday, March 29.
When most people think about writing a dissertation or thesis, they immediately consider the content. While research is absolutely critical to ensuring a strong product, only considering content overlooks one of the hardest parts about writing a dissertation/thesis: the writing itself. Unlike most academic genres, which can be thought of as sprints, the dissertation/thesis is a marathon. This means that the work not only takes a long time to develop but also that the writing itself behaves differently through extended narratives. As a result, part of what makes a successful dissertation/thesis is 1) developing strategies to write over long periods of time and 2) weaving together multiple strings of text.
This course will provide students with a recurring time to devote to their dissertation/thesis. Every week, students will have between 1-2 hours to write. This time may be used for writing, revision, research, or any goal that contributes to writing development. In addition to writing time, each class will be accompanied by a writing lesson targeted to improve student writing or assist students in the writing process. Throughout the quarter, students will also submit their writing for feedback from the course instructor. Additionally, students will have several opportunities for peer-review, research consultations, and other specialty sessions to improve their writing. Please note that this course will not teach students how to write a thesis/dissertation but will assist in enabling students to develop stronger general writing practices in addition to providing a space/time to write.
REQUIREMENTS
Graduate students must have produced at least one chapter of their thesis or dissertation and need to complete at least one more chapter. Preference will be given to students who have not participated in the university's summer Dissertation Write-in program.
Students must secure permission from their major professors (in the form of an e-mail) confirming they support their students enrolling in the course and that the student is far enough in his/her dissertation/thesis (i.e., confirming the above requirement).
This course is offered during the 2021 spring quarter and will be taught by Robby Nadler, the Director of Academic, Professional, and Technical Graduate Writing Development.
GRAD/WRIT 283AA: Preparing for the Academic Job Market
3 hours, 4 units, P/NP or letter grade
Thursdays | 2 p.m. to 4:50 p.m. | Synchronous online instruction
First day of instruction is on Monday, March 29.
Most students attend graduate school intending to pursue academia. Yet, for all the emphasis placed on training students to become brilliant scholars, little time is devoted to preparing students for how to obtain these jobs. From the very basic (e.g., where does one find job ads?) to the advanced (e.g., what's the difference between a cover letter in industry vs. academia?), many students have little idea of what entering the job market entails, what documents are required, and how to navigate interviews and visits.
GRAD/WRIT 283AA addresses these shortcomings. Over the next ten weeks, students will be readied to enter the academic job/postdoctoral market in their fields. This will be achieved through learning soft skills required for applying (e.g., knowing the difference between assistant and an advanced assistant professor positions), studying the five essential documents routinely asked for in an application (e.g., a research statement), and learning how to succeed in landing a job once you make it to (and past) the interview round (e.g., how to give a job talk). Throughout this process, students will engage these goals by also producing discipline-specific job documents that will be peer reviewed and be given instructor feedback. This course is open to all majors, but preference will be given to students who will go on the job market in the upcoming cycle.
REQUIREMENTS
Students must secure permission from their major professors (in the form of an e-mail) confirming where they are in their academic trajectory (i.e., how soon they are expected to begin applying to jobs and postdoctoral positions).
This course is offered during the 2021 spring quarter and will be taught by Robby Nadler, the Director of Academic, Professional, and Technical Graduate Writing Development.